Colorado Governor Jared Polis surprised many on Thursday by praising President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). In a statement on social media, Polis lauded Kennedy for his record on public health issues, including his role in helping Colorado avoid vaccine mandates back in 2019. Polis emphasized that Kennedy’s leadership could bring much-needed reform to HHS and the FDA, focusing on transparency and combating corporate influence in public health.
“He helped us defeat vaccine mandates in Colorado in 2019 and will help make America healthy again by shaking up HHS and FDA,” Polis wrote. While noting he disagreed with banning vaccines or mandates, Polis expressed optimism about Kennedy’s stance on personal choice and his commitment to challenging “big pharma and the corporate ag oligopoly.”
Trump’s decision to appoint Kennedy, a longtime critic of pharmaceutical companies and government overreach, is already creating waves across the political landscape. In his announcement, Trump emphasized that Kennedy’s leadership would restore HHS to its status as the “Gold Standard” in scientific research and public health.
“For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health,” Trump wrote. “Mr. Kennedy will restore these Agencies to the traditions of Gold Standard Scientific Research, and beacons of Transparency, to end the Chronic Disease epidemic, and to Make America Great and Healthy Again!”
Kennedy, initially a Democratic presidential candidate in 2024, later pivoted to endorse Trump, citing disillusionment with the Democratic Party’s trajectory. He spoke candidly at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally last month, delivering a scathing critique of the Democratic establishment. “The Democratic Party is the party of war. It’s the party of the CIA…It’s the party today that wants to divide Americans,” he said, criticizing the party’s endorsement of military interventions and corporate interests.
Polis’s endorsement of Kennedy’s nomination stands out, particularly given his history of opposition to Trump’s policies. Recently, Polis co-launched a new coalition, Governors Safeguarding Democracy, alongside Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker.
The coalition, formed to counter “disinformation campaigns” and “cyberthreats,” aims to uphold democratic values in the face of what they see as potential threats from the Trump administration. In a recent statement, Pritzker warned of Trump’s increased familiarity with the “levers of government” compared to his first term, calling the risk to democracy “great.”
Nevertheless, Polis maintained a pragmatic stance, stating he is prepared to work with Trump’s administration on areas where they can align for Colorado’s benefit. Speaking on Morning Joe, he reiterated his readiness to collaborate, saying, “We’re gonna work with him and his administration however we can for our state.”
In his social media post, Polis added that he looks forward to working with Kennedy to address the nation’s health challenges, despite anticipating strong opposition from entrenched corporate interests.
Kennedy’s nomination is not his first brush with a Cabinet role; in 2008, then President-elect Barack Obama reportedly considered Kennedy to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, signaling a long-standing interest in Kennedy’s environmental and health policy perspectives.
